Frederik Kessiakoff has a lot to do if he want's to reenact this move in Paris. Photograph: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images Europe
I haven't wrote a lot about the other jersey competitions of this year's Tour but with today being the second rest day and a drugs scandal yet to break, it seems like a good time to come up to speed with what's going on in them. Some remain close and may be decided over the next few days, others appear to have been won and done for days now...
Green points jersey
Far from a memorable competition, though the man who is set to win it will certainly live long in the memory and if he keeps going at this rate the young phenom may wear other colored jersey's before his career is done. That man is Peter Sagan, the 22-year old from Slovakia. He seized control of the points competition way back on stage two after Fabian Cancellara had taken it by default in the Prologue (Brad Wiggins wore it as Cancellara was in Yellow), and kept it for one more day with his second place finish to Sagan on stage one. Since then Sagan has only extended his lead and with his ability to still score at the end of stages the pure-sprinters aren't around for this Tour has really suited him. It's a shame in a way for it would have been nice to see Mark Cavendish duke it out with him all the way to Paris.
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale -- 356 pts
2. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol -- 254 pts
3. Matthew Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge -- 203 pts
4. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky -- 130 pts
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky -- 127 pts
6. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky -- 105 pts
Polka-dot King of the mountains jersey
They changed the format for this not long ago meaning that the points awarded to lower category climbs were in huge contrast to those awarded for the bigger climbs. It was done to stop a non-climber from going out and gathering up all the points on the small forth cat. climbs and hanging onto the mountains jersey for the majority of the Tour. They wanted a pure climber to take this one, a man who would be at the front over the biggest of climbs. With that in mind and with two huge days still to come, this jersey is very much up for grabs. Michael Morkov did his best to go get all the small climbing points, regardless of the new rules, to start the Tour and held the jersey for six days before we hit the first big climbs of the tour. Instantly the lead moved to Frederik Kessiakoff who -- baring a day with Chris Froome and one with Thomas Voeckler when they summited a few big climbs in the lead -- has held onto it since. His lead is far from secure though and anyone ambitious over the next two days could well win it. Expect to see Kessiakoff early on tomorrow's stage.
1. Frederik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana -- 69 pts
2. Pierre Rolland (Fra) Europcar -- 55 pts
3. Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank -- 39 pts
4. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Europcar -- 37 pts
5. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-ISD -- 33 pts
6. Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky -- 32 pts
White young riders jersey
Safe to say this one is a two-horse race and has been for a large portion of the Tour. Tejay Van Garderen has held the lead for all but two days when Rein Taaramae took over. Taaramae now sits 58-59 down on the GC, so he is no longer a threat, but Thibaut Pinot, the young French talent, certainly is. At just 1-54 behind Van Garderen this one is sure to be hotly contested for the rest of the week. Van Garderen is better against the clock so Pinot must try do something tomorrow or Thursday which will be worth watching given both are still in the top ten overall.
1. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing in 68-40-18
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat at 1-54
3. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale at 40-35
Team competition
Maybe it was a little presumptions of Sky to wear those Yellow helmets when they were leading the team competition? I thought I had heard the team leading the team competition would have all their riders wear Yellow helmets but once RadioShack-Nissan took control of it, they kept their men in their usual head-gear opting for the old Yellow numbers instead. As of now it's looking pretty good for them with a healthy lead over Team Sky. Given the effort the Sky boys are putting in for Brad Wiggins and Chris Froome before blowing up and tootling into the finish at their own pace, it's unlikely Sky will catch the American outfit that may be on the verge of winning the competition, but still can't afford to pay their riders.
1. RadioShack-Nissan in 205-52-34
2. Sky Procycling at 12-38
3. BMC Racing Team at 17-46
4. Astana Pro Team at 25-19
5. FDJ-Big Mat at 34-22
6. Liquigas-Cannondale at 40-33
In last
22. Argos-Shimano at 5-24-17
